“You know, every designer in the world normally looks at old references,” Paul Smith was explaining backstage before his fall show. “But, of course, I forgot that I have 5,000 of my own old references, because I’m extremely old.”
The 79-year-old designer, still svelte enough to fit into suits he’s owned for 20 years and as silly as ever, was chuffed to report that the “nice young helpers” on his refreshed design team are very into his archive, plucking choice looks, mostly from the ’80s, and giving them another spin in the fashion cycle.
He flicked through a printout of the run-of-show over which he had scribbled various notes, also labeling about half of the looks as “archive,” a few stretching back to 1977.
“Their fresh eyes give me energy and help me see things in a new light,” Smith said in a voiceover during the small-scale salon show, where guests sat on tightly spaced wooden benches printed with images of forgotten eyeglasses, spilled coins, and pairs of scissors. Cheeky!
The collection was terrific, one of Smith’s strongest in a while, seducing with its slouchy, roomy tailoring; its muddy, autumnal colors; its handsome Donegal tweeds and herringbones, and such throwback looks as loose, sweater-weight henleys that stoked instant desire.
Fetching too were the caped backs of his slightly rumpled, lightweight macs, and the utility shirts and anoraks tucked into full-legged pants.
Classicism prevailed, including navy suits, white shirts, leather car coats and Fair Isle sweaters – all good ideas that look right again.
